I decided it was necessary to get a second opinion with a new veterinarian after a cancer diagnosis for my five year old golden retriever Holly. Since my one-man country vet had never seen blood work results like the ones that came back on Holly and had no equipment of his own to do x-rays, ultrasound or additional lab tests, all he could do was refer us to the University of Illinois Vet School with his diagnosis of “likely cancer of the spleen and/or liver”. After doing some internet research and contacting local Springfield veterinarians, I instead chose to take Holly for a second opinion with Dr. Frank Coble DVM at the Coble Animal Hospital in Springfield, Illinois. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have decided to get this second opinion. Dr. Coble had all the equipment at his facility that was needed to dig deeper and find out more conclusively what was wrong with Holly. He reviewed Holly’s blood work before we met, and he came in with a list of 7-8 diseases that might be possible based on her blood results, among them heartworms, leptospirosis, rocky mountain spotted fever and the dreaded spleen/liver cancer hemangiosarcoma. Dr. Coble then thoroughly discussed Holly’s medical history with me, the symptoms leading to her testing, the course of treatment to date from our other veterinarian, and Holly’s response to the treatment to date. Based on this discussion, all the diseases on his list were eliminated except for two, an auto immune disease called thrombocytopenia and hemangiosarcoma. Based on an examination of Holly revealing no liver/spleen tumors, her response to the steroid medication prednisone started by our other vet, new blood tests showing extreme improvement in her platelet count, and an increase in weight of two pounds in the last three weeks, Dr. Coble feels 90% certain that Holly does not have cancer but instead has the auto immune disease thrombocytopenia. This blood disease is fairly rare, which is why our vet had never seen it before and had no idea what to do about it, and it is treatable with a long-term dose of steroids (prednisone) administered at decreased levels over time. We have already started the steroid treatment (at a more aggressive level than previously prescribed) and need to retest Holly’s blood every three weeks as the prednisone dose is reduced to keep a track on her platelet and liver levels. If her blood levels continue to improve and Holly continues to gain weight and respond well, the steroids will be continued for possibly 4 to 6 months in smaller and smaller doses over time. Dr. Coble says 50% of dogs simply heal and get past this disease and the steroids then can be stopped completely, the other 50% continue to need a small dose of steroids continuously but can live long-term on this treatment if necessary. There is still a 10% chance of the cancer, and only time and Holly’s response to this steroid treatment will tell. But we are so thrilled with the results of this second opinion and the hope it holds for Holly to have a healthy future! Also according to Dr. Coble, Holly was in dire condition at the time her first blood test was taken with her platelet count so dangerously low. Any trauma that may have happened to her at that time – a bump, fall, collision, scratch with bleeding, etc – could have caused her to bleed to death because her blood would not have clotted at all. The steroid prednisone that she was given by our vet (only because I told them the Rimadyl wasn’t working and we needed to try something else) in all likelihood saved her life.

By coincidence, Dr. Coble is on the cover of the latest issue of Springfield Scene Magazine that just came out with a very nice article about him and his practice. I cannot recommend him enough if anyone in the Springfield, Illinois or central Illinois area needs expert veterinary advice now or in the future. I was extremely impressed with the time he gave me (two hours, unbelievable!), his research prior to our meeting, his attention to all the details, his facility and equipment, his obvious love of animals and his interaction with Holly. Here is the link to Springfield Scene Magazine, click on Franklin Coble, DVM to read his article. His picture along with one of his four labradors is to the left on the home page.

And here is a little more info on thrombocytopenia, for those of you just dying for a little more medical info on this strange disease. Dr. Coble says she likely could have gotten this from an infection and/or allergic reaction to something.

Holly is such a big part of our family, and I’m so happy I took the time to research and get a second opinion on her behalf. We still need to see if she responds to this treatment, so I don’t feel she’s completely safe yet, but I am so grateful to Dr. Coble DVM and the Coble Animal Hospital for their help and the hope that they have given us that Holly might have a healthy future. Thanks so much!